Catharsis meaning (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Catharsis:

The catharsis is a purifying experience of human emotions. As such, the word comes from the Greek κάθαρσις (kátharsis), which means 'purge', 'purification'.

The words cleansing or releasing can be used as synonyms for catharsis.

In literature, for its part, catharsis is the purifying effect experienced by the viewer through a work of art. The concept was first devised by Aristotle in his Poetics .

As such, the Greek philosopher recognized in classical tragedies the power to make the viewer release his lowest passions through the aesthetic experience of theatrical representation.

In this sense, the tragedy offered the viewer a range of emotions, such as horror, anger, compassion, anguish or empathy, which allowed him to identify with the characters and their stories and, thus, access the purifying effect that produced the scenic representation inside.

Hence, the tragedy is also sobering for its audience in terms of the decisions or interests that moved their characters to their unfortunate end.

You may also be interested in Greek Tragedy.

Catharsis in Psychology

In the area of Psychology, more specifically in Psychoanalysis, authors such as Sigmund Freud return to the concept of Greek catharsis from a therapeutic point of view.

Therefore, catharsis is a method by which, during the therapy process, a patient was led to unlock repressed memories or experiences in their unconscious, generally associated with past traumatic events, in order to be able to talk about it., raise awareness, and experience it emotionally.

See also:

• Psychology Psychoanalysis

Catharsis in Medicine

In Medicine, the spontaneous or artificial expulsion of substances that are harmful to the body is called catharsis.

To trigger a catharsis, it is enough to inoculate a little of the evil that is affecting the patient to provoke a crisis such that it generates the expulsion of the matter or the harmful humors.